I sit up, reaching out to her, and wrapping my hand around her waist, squeezing her. “He’s a worthless fuck, Gracie. I’ll kill him before I let you back in his bed,” I growl.
She scrambles off of the bed, grabbing my shirt and throwing it on. I watch her feet move, but I don’t stop her. She needs a minute to process, but it doesn’t change what is going to happen. She will be mine—she already is.
CHAPTER FOUR
GRACIE
Hayden and Whitley are standing in the kitchen drinking coffee when I arrive. I watch as Hayden’s eyes scan my shirt, Beau’s shirt, and then they widen. Whitley’s does the same, but she won’t say anything, she doesn’t know me as well as Hayden does.
“Don’t. Don’t even ask,” I moan, lifting my hand to my head.
Whitley pours a coffee and hands it to me. I take a sip, feeling the warm heavenly liquid enter my body. The room starts to fill with men, and I know they’re going to notice my clothing, or lack thereof. I’m just wondering if any of them will say something to me, or to Fish.
If anyone other than Whitley and Hayden notice, they don’t even bat an eyelash and I let out a sigh of relief, that is until Beau walks into the kitchen. My eyes meet his and I can’t tear them away. Pressing my thighs together, I try to alleviate the immediate ache I feel between my legs at the sight of him.
Beau ignores the room, and I find that everyone else completely melts away with each step he takes closer toward me. I should be pissed about his demand that I leave Fish, that I leave everything that has been a constant for the past decade. I might be a grown woman, but inside I’m still that terrified sixteen-year-old with nowhere to go.
When he’s finally in front of me, I can feel my nipples tighten and my breasts ache, matching that same ache that’s between my legs. Beau reaches his hand out, wrapping his fingers around my waist and gives me a squeeze.
Dipping his head, he speaks in a low voice. “I’m asking a fuck’ve a lot of you, Gracie. I know that I am, but swear it, Jet. You will not be disappointed. I’ll make everything worth it. Swear to fuck, I will.”
“Why me?” I dare asking.
Beau shakes his head a couple times, his smile obvious that he thinks I’m a little crazy. “It’s always been you, Gracie. Always.”
My eyes water and I nod. It’s always been him too. Deep down I’ve always had a crush on him, always watched him from across the room, and always tried to tamp down the jealousies that would fill my body when I’d see him with a whore, or any other girl.
“You’re on lockdown, don’t leave the clubhouse,” he states, and panic fills my body from his words.
“Beau?” I ask through trembling lips. “What about Lea and the kids?”
He grins, his smile more beautiful than I’ve ever seen it. “I’m going to get them, bring them here. You stay put, though. Maybe shower, although I personally like that you smell like sex, thinking Lea may not,” he winks.
I wrinkle my nose at his words, then roll my eyes. Beau reaches down, grabbing a handful of my ass and squeezes. “Hurry up now, I’ll be back soon with the kids. I’ll have Lea pack you a bag, Jet.” He releases his hold on my ass, kisses my forehead, then is walking out of the kitchen before I can even take a breath.
Looking at the doorway he just exited, I let out a sigh. This man is dangerous. He’s trouble, and I’m about to follow him wherever he leads.
SKINNER
Parking in front of Gracie’s house shouldn’t feel as momentous as it does. It isn’t the first time I’ve been here, and yet, it all feels brand new. Inhaling a deep breath, I open the pickup door and slide out. I had to borrow a truck from one of the brothers, I only have a bike. That shit will have to change now that I’m going to have a family. Gracie and Lea are mine, even if she’s still unsure, Gracie will be my Old Lady.
Making my way up the walkway, I’m surprised when the front door flies open. Standing in front of me is Lea. She narrows her eyes on me, looking me up and down then crosses her arms over her chest. I have a feeling that she’s going to be a tougher challenge than Fish.
“Lockdown?” she asks lifting a brow.
I almost laugh at her teenage hostility, but I don’t. “Pack your mom some stuff?” I ask.
She nods once, turns around and disappears back into the house. I follow behind her so that I can help with the kids that are probably tearing shit up.
Looking around the small house, I’m surprised that I don’t see any signs of Fish anywhere. There are no family photos on the walls, none of his shit on counters or side tables. In fact, it’s even decorated like only two females live here, it doesn’t even look like a man is welcome.
The kids are at the table eating happily, and I decide to clean up a little bit, knowing that Gracie probably wouldn’t want food sitting out for days, possibly weeks. Once the kids have finished eating, I send them into the playroom and rinse their dishes before I set them in the dishwasher.
“You did dishes,” Lea announces from the doorway.
Turning my head, I lift my chin. “Yeah,” I grunt softly.
“I’ve never seen him do dishes, not once,” she mutters.
My eyes roam over her surprised face and I can’t stop myself from asking. “Your dad?”
She nods. I’m surprised that she didn’t call him her dad, but I don’t comment. He’s not her biological father, though I doubt even she knows that. I’m not going to be the one to tell her though, that’s something that will need to come from Gracie.
She leans against the doorjamb in the kitchen and her eyes rake over my body. I feel almost uncomfortable with her examining gaze, but I’m a man, so I tough it out, especially since she’s just a fourteen-year-old kid.
“You like my mom,” she announces. “I see you watching her sometimes. Don’t worry, I’ve never said anything,” she states putting her palms up.
My lips twitch at her observation. “She knows I like her, at least she does now.”
“You’re going to claim her, aren’t you?” she asks.
I tilt my head to the side. “Hasn’t Fish already done that?”
Lea takes a step toward me, her eyes lighting up and she leans forward slightly as if she’s going to tell me a secret. “Did you see his name on her body?” she asks on a whisper.
I blink once, surprised that she’s figured me out already, figured us out. Then, I catalog Gracie’s body and I can’t come up with her brand, her skin was so, pure, so soft and unmarked. My eyes widen, and I lift them to Lea.
How?
How has she been unclaimed, unmarked, for fourteen years and nobody has known?
Lea snorts. “Marty is an asshole. I know he’s my ‘dad,’” she says making quotes with her fingers. “But seriously, he’s never around and he doesn’t give a shit. Are you going to treat her like shit?” she asks, her gray eyes narrowing on me.
Tilting my head to the side, I ask her a question. “Why did you use quotes when you called Fish, your dad?”
She shrugs. “It’s pretty obvious I’m not his. Plus, I heard him tell her that I wasn’t his kid, over the phone a couple months ago.” I can see the hurt in her eyes.
She’s been keeping this bottled up, and maybe I’m not the person she should be talking to about this, but I’m the only one here.
Reaching for her forearm I pull her toward me, wrapping my arms around her I hold her against my chest. “He’s a piece of shit, Lea. Any man would be lucky to call you his daughter,” I rasp.
She looks up at me, tears filling her eyes. “Would you? Would you claim me?” she asks.
My lips twitch and I give her a wide smile. “Don’t you know, darlin’?” She shakes her head. “I already have,” I state. “I’m claiming both my girls. You’re coming home with me, where you’ve always belonged.”
Her arms squeeze me, holding me close and I let out a breath. They’re mine. Gracie and Lea are mine. Fish will never breathe the same air as them. Not fucking ever.
CHAPTER FIVE
/> GRACIE
I pace the bar, waiting for Beau and Lea to come back. When the door opens, and I glance up to see them waltzing through, I let out a sigh of relief. Lea looks at me like she’s holding a serious secret, and she smirks. My eyes fly up to Beau who looks the exact same.
Once he’s in front of me, he passes me a bag and winks. “You girls go on up to my room. I’m delivering these kids to their moms, and I’ll be right up.” I didn’t even notice that he had Easton and Evalyn in tow, my focus was Lea and him, only.
Lea takes my hand and pulls me toward the living quarters. When we’re down the hall, I take the lead and walk her toward Beau’s room. Once we’re inside, I let out a breath and throw the bag he handed me on the bed.
“Marty isn’t my dad, I already know,” she announces. I turn around, gasping at her words. “I heard him say something about it on the phone. I always knew though. I mean I’ve seen the way the other guys are with their kids,” she shrugs.
My heart, it breaks at the words that she’s saying. It’s my fault, mine, that she feels the way she does. I’m a shit mom. I take her in my arms and give her a hug.
“Just tell me the truth, Mom, tell me everything,” she urges.
Walking her over to the bed, we sit on the edge. I take her hands in mine, turning slightly toward her and I tell her. I tell her the truth. I explain to her about her real father, how I haven’t seen him since I was fifteen years old. I tell her that Marty rescued me, that he took me in and gave us a stable home.
“But you’ve never loved one another,” she states.
I nod, feeling like a fraud. Admitting it aloud, to my daughter, it feels so wrong. “You deserve love, Mom. Skinner loves you, I think he has for a long time.”
“How do you know that?” I ask, trying to hide my smile.
She shrugs. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching.”
I should explain to her that a look doesn’t equal love. I don’t. Maybe she needs to live in this beautiful dream world a bit longer. She’s had enough reality for a girl her age.
“He said we’re his now. You know he didn’t realize that you weren’t branded,” she giggles.
“You told him, I assume?” I ask, arching a brow.
Lea nods. “You should have seen how surprised, and happy he got, Mom. I want this for you guys. Skinner is who you need, not Marty,” she declares.
Sliding my hands through her hair, I rest my cheek on the top of her head. “I wish everything in life was so easy,” I whisper.
“You’ll make it happen, mom. He’s who your heart wants. I see the way you look at him too.”
CHAPTER SIX
GRACIE
The president of the Notorious Devils calls me into his office. I know Snake, I like Snake, but right now I’m scared of what he’s going to tell me. I’ve never been called into his office, not ever.
I feel like I’m walking toward a guillotine. Or maybe more like I’ve been naughty, and I’m being sent to the principal’s office. However, I’m no fool, something’s going on.
Snake’s eyes meet mine and my breath whooshes out of me. I stumble backward slightly, only to have Beau at my back. He wraps his arm around me and holds me against him, allowing me to lean my full weight against him.
“Fish kidnapped Free. Turns out he’s been lying to all of us, Gracie. He was the head of the whole operation, of all the compounds and the Aryans. He claims he had plans in place if he was caught, and those plans are for the women, specifically our women. He was promised Whitley when she was just a girl,” he explains.
Skinner pulls me even closer to his body, and if I could melt into him and completely disappear, I would. “You got any clue where he’d have information hidden, or stored?” Snake asks me.
“I’ve never looked through his things. You’re more than welcome to go through the house and the garage,” I announce a few minutes later.
“Babe,” Beau mumbles next to me.
I hate it. I like it when he calls me by my name, or Jet. I know the babe thing is just in front of the guys, but I fucking hate it.
I shake my head, looking up at Beau. “Seriously, we haven’t been really together for years. We were never married, and I don’t want his filth in my house a minute longer.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that I’m not his wife like he wanted everyone to believe, but I don’t care anymore, I’m glad that I’m not attached to him.
“You were never married?” Crooner asks.
I shake my head. “No, he never even marked me, and legally we’re not married,” I admit. “Lea isn’t his either.”
The men all stare at me. I’ve stunned them completely speechless, and if this situation wasn’t so fucked up, I might laugh at it all. I let out a huff of air, the entire room still silent.
“I was pregnant when I met him. Lea’s father had abandoned me. I was sixteen and scared. My parents kicked me out. I’d seen him around town a few times and we hit it off. Everything went from there. I tried to be a good wife and a good Old Lady but I never loved him, and he never loved me,” I admit. I’m trying not to break, trying not to cry, I’m on the verge and it’s pissing me off.
“Send Motorhead and a prospect over to comb through his shit,” Snake says, looking to Crooner. He lifts his chin and hurries out of the office.
“How are we going to figure out his grand plan?” Free asks.
Snake shakes his head, he tosses two phones into the center of his desk. “He had both those on him. I don’t know what that means, but I figure if anyone can find something it’ll be Keys. They’re due back in a couple days.”
“He has a laptop at the house. I’ve never seen him use it, but he has one,” I remember.
Snake takes his own phone out and sends a text message off to Crooner, I assume, about the laptop.
“Go home, honey. Take care of your girl,” he mutters looking up to me.
“I hate that I’ve brought this to my girl.”
She knows that he’s not her father, but the Aryan stuff, how can I try to explain that to her? She already dislikes him; how can I try to explain that I let this stranger into our lives for almost fifteen years? I feel like the worst mother on earth.
Snake levels me with a look and nods once.
“She’ll survive, she’s strong as fuck just like her mother. Tell her the truth, Gracie. He’s not her biological father, his fucked up blood doesn’t run through her veins, that should be comforting in and of itself,” he mutters.
Beau leads me out of the office and toward Lea. She’s still in his room, watching television and vegging. She had a long night of babysitting, so I told her to just hang out, and thankfully Beau had a TV in his room. We walk inside, me first, and him following behind.
SKINNER
Lea looks over from the television to us and her face pales. I wish that I could comfort her. Never thought that I would have my own family, because I didn’t want to plant my babies in anyone but Gracie, and yet, here I am. A built-in family and I’m fucking excited about it.
“What happened?” Lea demands.
I watch as Gracie walks over to her and sits on the bed. Keeping my distance, I let her tell Lea everything. I’m surprised that she holds nothing back about Fish. Lea takes it well, nodding and her eyes tear up before she quickly wipes them away.
“What happens now? We’re completely free right?” she asks.
Lea looks downright hopeful as she turns her gaze up to me. I meet her hopeful gaze with one of my own, except I aim mine over to Gracie. Her face turns pink and a small smile breaks out on her soft lips. I have her. I know that I do, and if we were alone, I’d have her all over my dick.
“We’re free of Fish, Lea, yes. We’re not free of the club though. We’re one of them,” she says softly.
I grunt. “Yeah, you’re mine, that’s what you are,” I announce. “Right, Jet?”
Gracie’s face turns to me again, and her cheeks turn bright red. “If y
ou’ll have us, Beau.”
“C’mere, Gracie,” I grunt.
I watch as she stands. Her movements are slow as she makes her way toward me. When she’s within grabbing distance, I reach out, wrapping my hands around her waist and yank her against my chest.
Dipping my chin, I press my lips against her in a chaste kiss. I might not put my tongue down her throat, but I consume and own her nonetheless.
“Gag,” Lea giggles.
Breaking the kiss, I look over Gracie’s shoulder to Lea. Except she doesn’t look as grossed out as she claims. She’s wearing a huge smile aimed right at us. Gracie shakes her head. “This is crazy. Completely insane,” she whispers.
“It is, but it’s also really fucking right,” I murmur, looking down into her face, and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
EPILOGUE
TWO WEEKS LATER
GRACIE
On my hands and knees, I rear back, my head flies back as I take him inside of me. Beau fills me to the hilt and I whimper, he hits me at the perfect spot in this position. His hand slides up my spine and wraps around the back of my neck. He pushes my head down and holds me still.
I love it when he does this.
My pussy clenches.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
Spreading my legs wider, I tip my ass a little more and he lets out a groan. He slams against me, his balls slapping against my clit with his hard strokes. I cry out, burying my face in the pillow. I’m on the verge of my climax, my thighs shake as I scream into the mattress.
It’s Saturday morning, and Lea is awake in the living room. I heard her turn on the television not long ago, but Beau was already between my legs and his tongue felt too fabulous to ask him to stop. He grunts softly behind me and then I feel his release fill me.
Flamed with Courage: Notorious Devils (Cash Bar Book 3) Page 26
